The new sporting director has a lot of work to do.
Spartak has chosen Francis Cahigao as the club’s football director. The experienced Spaniard has been given a 2.5-year contract. I was a scout for Arsenal and attracted a few interesting players. He then lived in Chile, where he helped the national team, and then ended up at Galatasaray. A varied career and a desire to earn a lot of money, because the Spaniard ended up in Istanbul and Moscow because of money. Although the projects are also interesting and the coaches emotional. Stankovic did not work well with Amaral, the Portuguese left and complained intrigue in the club. We took Cahigao, who also knows the South American market. But the Spaniard will also have to negotiate with the agents of players who want to leave Spartak in the new year. And there are a lot of them.
Ugalde and Barco could be promoted
Manfred’s successful attacking play and Ezequiel’s play as a distributor are beneficial for Spartak. And at the same time, players in this price category – around 15 million euros – always attract scouts. In the case of the 22-year-old striker, it will be possible to negotiate, because Ugalde worked at Twente and gained experience in the Western League. Barco played in Argentina and USAbut also young enough to be believed in Serie A or La Liga. The Spartak management is motivated to get through the spring and the scouts will test their stability. But if Ugalde and Barco remain in the top three RPLthen they will certainly come for them. The agents of striker Manfred have launched a campaign, even mentioning Manchester City. The publicity has started, then there will be negotiations.
There is no point in keeping Christopher Martins
The midfielder cannot cover the coach’s position with a pass, and Stankovic was always looking for such players when he worked in Serbia and Hungary. There, Dejan became a champion, he eventually wants to fight for the first place RPL. It is still difficult to find the right candidate, because the position is special, you need a person with Wendel’s pass and Barrios’ ability to take the ball. There are few such players, they cost a lot. We need to unleash the potential of a guy that others have underestimated. Challenge for Cahigao. Stankovic managed to get Martins to vibrate for a few intense fights at the end of the year. Christopher had a free position and was allowed to attack. But there is an opinion that the midfielder tried hard to make a successful transfer to one of the Western clubs. Martins is not needed in the starting lineup.
Khlusevich and Zobnin became substitutes
Attacking full-back Khlusevich now has competitors on both flanks. Even though Spartak is still looking for a strong right back, Stankovic has so far trusted the strong Denisov, not Khlusevich. And on the left, Daniil was supplanted by Ryabchuk, the Moldovan played well under the new coach. They also took the Portuguese Mangush, once again emphasizing that Khlusevich was not part of Spartak’s plans. And Zobnin, in addition to similar problems with finding a place in a solid base, also has another reason to leave: salary. Spartak does not want to pay big money to the veteran after a series of complex injuries in the past when he was a substitute. Zobnin can play on the right in defense, but this is similar to Kuzyaev’s position at Zenit in the past. Better to leave.
Nicholson and Jose block the search for the wild card
The situations are different. Shamar has proven redundant at the clubs he has been loaned to. They didn’t buy out the contract, so they came back. Something similar could happen with full-back Tavares. Things didn’t work out for him in Austria, they want to send the Spartak player back from his loan ahead of schedule. Nicholson is still needed in the lineup as a replacement for Ugalde and as a power forward, since Willian Jose did not cope with the task and did not become a replacement for Sobolev. Stankovic understands that both attackers are not strong enough to develop Spartak into the championship vector. In winter, it will be easier for Nicholson to find a new club, but due to his poor form, they are unlikely to want to see José in other teams with transfer money. But we have to act, because Spartak could use a wild card.
Ignatov and Zorin need to practice
The attacking midfielders played RPL less than a full match. You cannot develop without any game practice. Zorin is 20 years old, older than Batrakov. Ignatov is 24 years old, on the threshold of the adult stage of his career. Mikhail could leave for another club. His father talked about the negotiations. But you can extend the contract and go on loan. If he starts playing, he’ll come back, but if he doesn’t open up, they’ll break up. Stankovic hardly likes the footballer Ignatov, because he is too slow for the agile attack of Spartak with the short Ugalde, Medina, Marquinhos and Bongonda. Zorin is also having trouble finding a place for himself. Age helps him; he can wait. Spartak leaders recently used the excuse of “betting on young Russians”. We need results, not slogans.
Chernov and Abena are not at the level of favorites
Chernov had some successful fights, but newcomer Abena, who Stankovic knows very well, had an unsuccessful debut. We are confident that the two experienced central defenders can play a few solid matches for Spartak. Especially in matches where the red and white have the ball 65% of the time. But as soon as we talk about fighting for the championship, Chernov and Abena lack class. Litvinov will discuss with Duarte for the right to become Babich’s partner in the center of defense, and the new director may look for another central defender. Even though there are a lot of people, in fact everything depends on Babich. Srdjan has been injured and could hear from his agent that he is being recalled to the elite division this summer. It is important for Spartak to sell the reserves on time and look for a newcomer.
Marquinhos and Zinkovsky explore options
Thanks to a good career, the Brazilian now has options in his native country. Remember how difficult it is for heat-loving players to RPL. No more long flights. In the case of southern regions, it is necessary to travel by train and bus, and not just by plane. They are tired and rarely see their loved ones. Marquinhos lost his father in the fall, he wants to be closer to his mother and she is in Brazil. Stankovic tries to dissuade the winger from leaving. But there are enough such cases. Zenit is once again arguing with Wendel, who does not want to return to St. Petersburg. Zinkovsky, also a left-back like Marquinhos, has a different reason for leaving Spartak. No playing practice. Anton is not twenty years old to wait in the reserves, he absolutely must look for a team in January.
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